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John F. Kennedy Space Center Americas gateway to the universe Spaceport News www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/news/snews/spnews_toc.html May 2, 2008 Vol. 48, No. 8 STS-122 crew returns with vivid stories S ix of the seven astronauts who installed the Eu ropean-built Columbus laboratory on the Inter national Space Station returned to NASAs Kennedy Space Center on April 17 and brought with them some amaz ing descriptions of liftoff and the jarring ride into space. Mission Specialist Rex Walheim did not no tice the twang of launch so he was determined to watch space shuttle At lantis nose push forward slightly when the main engines ignited during the mission in February. But the swaying was not the gentle move for ward and back before the twin solid rocket boosters ignited that Walheim ex main engines on the back of Atlantis rattled the do on every launch. Suddenly youre Walheim said. He punctu ated his description with a pantomime of holding onto handles near his seat and the best audible impersonation of the shaking sound he heard. You realize this is it. Commander Steve Frick echoed the senti ment. Its amazing when the main engines just shake you up and then the solids just throw you in the air. when the shuttle made its regular roll to put the orbiter on its back for the said he noticed more sen sations that people dont expect when they see what looks like a gentle turn from the ground. You know what the end of a cracking whip land Melvin described an energetic pace just after passing through the phase of liftoff known as maxi mum dynamic pressure. engines throttled down so the air that built up around the shuttle at high speeds wouldnt dam engines throttled back up to full speed and pushed mph. It felt like I was in a human slingshot pulled back about a mile and Frick said the ride didnt necessarily end when Atlantis reached orbit. (With the accel said. Then its like a roller coaster at the top going. European astronaut Hans Schlegel unbuckled quickly from his lower level seat and raced to external fuel tank after it was jettisoned. He found himself in a weightless world he last encountered shuttle Columbias STSBy Steve Siceloff Staff Writer It felt like I was in a human slingshot pulled back about a mile and then let go . Leland Melvin, rst-time space shuttle ier and STS-122 Mision Specialist See STS-122 Page 8 Having completed their successful 13-day mission to the International Space Station, STS-122 Commander Steve Frick, left, Pilot Alan Poindexter, and Mission Specialists Leland Melvin, Rex Walheim, Hans Schlegel and Stanley Love share stories, photos and videos of their mission during a presentation on April 17. NASA/Cory Huston NASA/Cory Huston Mission Specialist Rex Walheim signed autographs and shared his experiences of the STS-122 mission.

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Page 2 SPACEPORT NEWS May 2, 2008 Relevance of space exploration highlights Future Forum A s part of the yearlong Future Forum program leaders converged at the University of Miami on April 18 to discuss how space exploration has ad and the economy in local communities and the na tion. NASA Deputy Ad ministrator Shana Dale presented the keynote address to launch the daylong event at the universitys BankUnited Center. She explained that aside from the obvious NASA has another side that involves contributing to the space economy. Space is pervasive critical to so many aspects of our daily activities and space economy impacts just about every aspect and playfrom weather and climate monitoring to space-based security applications that keep us safe. When we use our GPS units to keep us from from an ATM or listen to said. While NASAs mis sion isnt to stimulate the or advance environmental cant contributions to these innovation and discovery. bine to create a formula ity and improved quality ship forms the essence of the space economy. Exploration of space demands that we push the technology and preci sion in ways that we could not have origi nally imagined and the our space exploration Florida Gov. Charlie Crist discussed how space exploration gives Floridians a more competitive economy and better quality of life. He also announced a partnership between statefunded Space Florida and SPACEHAB. They plan to use the International Space Stations national labora tory designation and the at Kennedy Space Center to carry out research. Florida is commit ted to fostering a thriving aerospace industry and is quickly becoming known as one of the nations top ernor Crist said. The partnership reinforces our dedication to the biotech industry. This is an excit ing opportunity to stimu late progress in this new market and in Floridas economy. director of the Advanced Capabilities Division in NASAs Exploration Systems Mission Director summarizing the agencys plans to return to the moon and explore beyond. Commander Steve Frick addressed participants during lunch. The event also included three panel discussions focused on discovery. Staff Writer NASA/Kim Shiett From left, astronaut Carl Walz, Donna E. Shalala, president of the University of Miami; Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and NASAs Deputy Administrator Shana Dale were at the luncheon at NASAs Future Forum in Miami. Russell Romanella, left, director of International Space Station and Spacecraft Process ing at Kennedy Space Center, moderates a panel presenting Pushing the Limits of Knowledge To Inspire New Generations during NASAs Future Forum in Miami on April 18. Others on the panel include, from left, Dr. James Tien, dean of engineering at the University of Miami; Dennis Mills, with UTC/Pratt Whitney Rocketdyne; Jim Halsell, former astronaut; Robert Atlas, director of NOAAs Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory; and Jack Horkheimer, executive director of the Miami Space Transit Planetarium. The forum focused on how space exploration benets Floridas economy. NASA/Kim Shiett

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SPACEPORT NEWS Page 3 May 2, 2008 I t is less than a year before NASA tests the launch of the Ares I-X vehicle from nedy Space Center. The ald the beginning of the agencys new exploration ter continues space shuttle launches to complete the International Space Sta tion and prepares facilities for the future. nedys Ares I-X project demonstrate control of a vehicle dynamically similar to the Ares I/Orion. Other objectives include separation/staging event onstrating assembly and recovery of a new Ares Kennedy. The test vehicle shuttle and U.S. Air Force Peacekeeper heritage Kennedys ground systems manager for Ares I-X. Cowart is leading efforts to modify and prepare facilities for Ares I-X processing. These include the Vehicle Assembly Hazardous Maintenance Cape Canaveral Air Force tions in the VAB include installing a new air purge system and access stands and removing the C-North platformthe highest platform that currently surrounds the external taller Ares I-X. derway on the gaseous oxygen vent arm to allow access to the vehicle. Two new access arms will be service structure and one on the payload changeout room. The Ares I-X is at the space shuttle at the foot extension structure will be added beneath the current lightning mast to raise it up. New panels and valves will be installed in the Hazardous Mainte nance Facility so that the roll control system can be loaded with hydra zine propellant and then transferred to the VAB. Cape Canaveral Air Force retrieved after launch A new ground control will be installed in the mobile launch platform. It will serve as the bridge be Center and the launch pad during countdown to launch. Tassos Abadiotakis is cessing Ares I-X ground operations manager. He ground support equipment with the launch vehicle. Abadiotakis said Ares begin arriving this fall. The ground operations team is working very process the Ares I-X hard The peacekeeper roll control system will arrive from Marshall Space Flight Center and four solid rocket booster seg simulator will arrive from crew module and launch abort simulator from will arrive from ATK in December. Abadiotakis said there are challenges to process ing and stacking the Ares I-X inside the VAB in parallel with shuttle pro cessing and Constellation program development. As the processing plan matures and we get the team will be ready to Abadiotakis said. cover the Ares I-X test ve other conditions during and return. Tassos said the collect data in a timely manner so that the results can be used to inform the Constellation Program of any necessary design changes. Scott said prepara have already provided stellation Program by evaluating operability work control systems and The Ares I-X criti cal design review will Hardware manufacturing is underway to support shipments to Kennedy in the fall. Procedures are are in the implementa tion phase and Kennedy personnel are preparing to support the hardware acceptance reviews this summer. We will be ready when said. Assembly and launch have a fantastic team in place to make it happen. Staff Writer NASA image The Ares I-X, shown in an artist conception, is at least 100 feet taller than the space shuttle at the pad. A 110-foot extension structure will be added beneath the current lightning mast to raise it. Whats ahead The peacekeeper roll control system will arrive from Marshall Space Flight Center and four solid rocket booster segments, loaded with propellant, will arrive from ATK in Utah, in September. In October, the upper stage simulator will arrive from Glenn Research Center, Ohio, followed by the crew module and launch abort simulator from Langley Research Center, Va., in November. The inert fth SRB segment will arrive from ATK in December.

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Page 4 SPACEPORT NEWS Scene around Kennedy Space Center May 2, 2008 You are encouraged to send unique story ideas and exciting photos of workers in action for possible publi cation. Photos should include a short caption with the names and job titles, from left to right. Send e-mail to KSC-Spaceport-News @mail.nasa.gov. Spaceport News wants your photos Towed on its 76-wheeled orbiter transporter, space shuttle Discovery begins its turn away from the Orbiter Processing Facility to roll over to the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy. Kennedys Center Director Bill Parsons and former director Dr. Lee Scherer share a moment during a visit on April 24. NASA/Kim Shiett Russell Romanella, left, director of International Space Station and Spacecraft Processing at Ken nedy Space Center, former NASA Deputy Administrator Alan Lovelace (far right), Dr. Lee Scherer and his wife, Sheryn, visit the O&C High Bay Area to be used as the Orion manufacturing area. NASA/Kim Shiett

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Page 5 SPACEPORT NEWS Scene around Kennedy Space Center May 2, 2008 General Dynamics technicians, sitting beneath the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope, or GLAST, carefully position a high-gain antenna under the spacecraft as they prepare to install it on the spacecraft in the Astrotech payload processing facility near Kennedy. NASA/Kim Shiett An overhead crane low ers the Kibo Japanese Experiment Module Pressurized Module into the payload canister in the Space Station Processing Facility at Kennedy. The canister delivered the module, part of the payload for space shuttle Discoverys STS-124 mission, to Launch Pad 39A on April 29. Towed on its 76-wheeled orbiter transporter, space shuttle Discovery begins its turn away from the Orbiter Processing Facility to roll over to the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy. NASA/ Troy Cryder NASA/Kim Shiett

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Page 6 SPACEPORT NEWS May 2, 2008 Kennedy forms team to address culture survey results Brig. Gen. Helms becomes 19th Debus Award recipient Im a better person for having body ought to get a chance to do it. These words were spoken by U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Susan J. Helms said as she accepted the Debus Award from the National Space Club Florida Committee on H. Debus Conference Facility at Kennedy Space Centers Visitor Complex. annual award. She was singled out as a pioneer among her peers in her support of the commercial launch spirit of cooperation on the Space known as SpaceX. The Debus Award was created by the Florida Committee to honor the efforts of those associated with and spaceport research and devel opment in Florida. It is named for Ten previous Debus Award By Kay Grinter Reference Librarian honorees attended the banquet in Gen. and former Kennedy Space he commended her for her commit ment to everything she does. He recalled her preparation for her res idence aboard the International Space Station as a member of the that he warned the audience he may have embellished just slightly. demonstrate her total dedication to her assignment. the current world record. Helms said that she was over whelmed by the honor and credited the men and women of in making her an effective leader. She sited their willingness to in stitute change in the processes and procedures required to support the launches from the Eastern Range and predicted a bright future for the Space Coast. Each honoree is presented with a small copy of the Debus kinetic sculpture dubbed Ribbon of Space. contemporary artist Elijah David was in the audience this year for Past Debus Award recipients 1990 George F. Page 1991 Lyle J. Holloway 1992 Forrest McCartney 1993 Bill Nelson 1994 Robert B. Sieck 1995 George Faenza 1996 Lee Solid 1997 Dr. Maxwell King 1998 JoAnn Morgan 1999 Edward A. OConnor, Jr. 2000 Ernie Briel 2001 Roy Bridges 2002 Rick Abramson 2003 Adrian Laftte 2004 John Tip Talone 2005 Richard Beagley 2006 Jim Kennedy 2007 Bruce Melnick NASA le U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Susan J. Helms still holds the record for the longest space walk (eight hours, 56 minutes). A team of Kennedy Space Center orga nizational develop ment specialists has been better understanding of and develop positive solutions for some negative work force opinions about management support. These employee at Culture Survey conducted by NASAs chief historian. Culture Survey was devel oped based on the results of Staff Writer focus groups that occurred at several centers during the The organizational development team includes supervised by Stacie Phil lips. Gallaher pointed out that the project is important because management needs a forum to hear from a large management recognizes as their most important re source. All centers participated resulted in an agency-wide percent of the civil service large enough response rate to provide them with useful information. members of the Senior Man agement Council have taken the results of the survey very seriously. They see the results as valuable and have begun addressing areas of concern as well as celebrating areas of Based on the survey results and the three key for employees to feel free to raise dissenting opinions without fear of it having a negative impact on their career; methods for the centers administrative pro cesses to run smoothly and and outlets for honest and direct communication with management. Being honest in our responses to the survey pro vides all of us an opportunity Ferris said. Kennedys International Space Station/Spacecraft Processing and Chief Finan of the nine model organiza tions. Agency benchmark ing team members currently are identifying questions to determine why these organizations were rated so highly and intend to share NASA. The teams report is scheduled to be presented management. Sharing survey results and developing action plans with employees and implementing changes are all important parts of Employees want to know that their feedback is heard and that positive changes are made as a result of their participation in the survey.

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Page 7 SPACEPORT NEWS May 2, 2008 By Kay Grinter Reference Librarian T he end of the beginning of Americas manned space on May 16 with the splashdown of Ocean. Aboard was U.S. Air Force mission. from Pad 14 on Cape Canaveral engineer for the Atlas-Centaur phy Wardman. Bucket Milikin each other. Although I was as signed primarily to the Atlas-Cen dures on the Mercury rocket. NASA alumnus Sam Bed mechanical engineer on all six manned Mercury capsules. I met Gus Grissom while I was stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. He talked me into working in the Cape when I was hired. We dont have a mechanical engi Center in 1964 as the Gemini Pro gram ramped up. Charlie Mars was assigned to the same spacecraft engineer ing group. Our cubicles were in Hangar AF where the solid rocket boosters are washed after recovery against a barred window. We were wanted to leave the room. Cooper and the other Mercury astronauts stayed in quarters in Hangar S A NASA stabilization control the capsules for the early Mercury lo Program and was supporting from the White Sands Missile Test Range in New Mexico. A peroxide was the propellant used in the Mercury capsule thrusters for attitude control to point the space explained. It was the same thing that women used to bleach their hair but in much weaker concentra tions. knew Cooper. NASA just didnt have that many astronauts. Cooper and Grissom were among the seven Mercury astronauts NASA selected were chosen in the second group in Cooper was a very good knew somebody was in a boat out in the river. It was his way of let ting them know he was here. Cooper continued to design and test new aircraft until late in told a reporter when he was 71. Cooper was 77 when he died in Mars are volunteers at the U.S. Space Walk of Fame Foundation To see artifacts from the Mer cury Program or hear more stories about the early days at the space Friday at 4 Main St. For more infor Astronaut Gordon Cooper arrives at the top of the gantry during a preight simulated mission, a few days before his scheduled 22-orbit ight on Faith 7. NASA le Visit the U.S. Space Walk of Fame Foundation and Museum, 4 Main St., Titusville, to see artifacts from the Mercury Program or hear more stories about the early days at Kennedy. The museum is open from 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call 321-264-0434. Want to learn more? Astronaut Gordon Cooper is assisted into his Faith 7 spacecraft during a preight simulated mission. NASA le